Excavator and loader



EXCAVATOR AND LOADER Filed Deo. 1, 1952 5 sheets-sheet' 1 Oct. 15, 1935.Q W sHlpPE 2,017,477

EXCAVATOR AND LOADER Filed Deo. l, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct, l5, 1935.c. w. sHlPPEE EXCAVATOR AND LOADER Filed Deo. l, 1932 Gew-$17 v'Sheets-Sheet 3 55 roll 22, both mounted in bearings in an oblique-Patented Oct. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for removing loam or other easilyloosened material from a ground surface to be stripped or excavated, andfor loading the material into a suitable container for transportation.

It is the general object of my invention to provide a machine adapted toforce a pair of scoops or shovels through the material to be removed,and to provide such a machine with improved means for raising andlowering each shovel and for applying do-wnward pressure thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved elevating andconveying mechanism associated with the shovels and preferablyadjustable therewith toward and away from the operative position of theshovels.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

A preferred form o-f the invention, together with a modificationthereof, is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. l is a side elevationof my improved excavator and loader;

Fig. 2 is a plan view therof;

. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, taken along the line 3-3in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of certain hydraulic operating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of certain parts, looking in the direction ofthe arrow 5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional end elevation of certain other parts, taken alongthe line 6 6 in Fig. 4,

' and Fig. '7 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing a modiedconstruction of the mechanism for raising the shovels and conveyors.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown my invention embodied in a motorvehicle preferably having a single front wheel IIJ, a pair of rearwheels Il, inner frame members |2 and outer frame members I4. Themachine is provided with a seat S for the operator and with a steeringwheel W connected to swing the front wheel ID. A cross shaft |5 (Fig. 1)is connected through suitable clutch mechanism to an engine E and may becontinuously rotated thereby. Chains I6 connect sprockets on the shaft|5 to sprockets I8 by which the wheels I are rotated. The motor vehiclemay thus be driven and steered as desired.

A conveyor belt 20 at each side of the machine is mounted on a drivingpulley 2| and a guidely positioned conveyor support 24. Each support 24comprises a back portion 25 (Fig. 3) and raised side portions 26 whichextend substantially above the upper run of the conveyor belt 20.

The support 24 is provided with guide-rolls 2l (Fig. 2) at each sidethereof and said guide-rolls are positioned in guiding channel members28 fixed to the frame of the machine at opposite sides of each conveyorsupport. The lower end 10 of each support is also provided with a baseportion 33 and with a scoop or shovel 3|.

The lower end of eachr conveyor support 24 is pivotally connected at 33(Fig. 1) to the lower end of a forked lever 34 (Fig. 2) mounted on a 15short shaft 35 pivoted in the frame of the machine. Itis obvious that byswinging the lever 34, the conveyor support 24 and shovel 3| may bemoved toward or away from the material to be excavated and loaded. v 2oFor moving the lever 34, I have shown in Fig. 3 a hydraulic cylinderpivoted at 4| to the frame of the machine and having a piston 42 andpiston rod 43. The rod 43 is pivotally connected at 44 to the forkedlever 34. Pipes 45 and 46 25 connect the opposite ends of the cylinder4|] to a suitable source of supply of iluid under pressure, and byconnecting one end of the cylinder to the fluid supply and the other endtothe exhaust, the conveyor support 24 and shovel 3| may be 30 movedobliquely toward or away from the material to be excavated.

The machine is preferably provided with a self-contained body B havingone or more dump gates 50, connected by a link 5|. In Fig. 4 I 35 haveshown hydraulic mechanism for operating the gates 50, said mechanismcomprising a cylinder 52 mounted on a fixed pivot 53 and having a piston54 pivotally connected by a rod 55 to an arm 56 mounted on a cross shaft5l. Addi- 40 tional arms 58 on the shaft 5l are connected by links 59 toone of the gates 50.

When pressure is applied through a pipe 60 to one end of the cylinder52, the gates 50 will be moved to the open or dumping positionsindicated in Fig. 4. When pressure is applied through a pipe 6| to theopposite end of the cylinder, the gates will be moved to the closedposition shown in Fig. 1, in which position the arms 58 and links 59form locking toggles. 50

Rotary hydraulic motors 'I0 (Figs. 2 and 4) are provided for the drivingpulleys 2| by which the conveyor belts 2|) are operated, each motorbeing provided with a supply pipe 'II and an exhaust or return pipe '|2.A

Oil or other fluid under pressure is provided by pumps 14 and 15actuated through a drive shaft 16 having a chain and sprocket connectionto the crank-shaft 11 (Fig. 2) of the engine E.

The pump 14 supplies fluid to a feed pipe 80 (Figs. 4 and 5) which isconnected to a pair of four-way valves 8| (Fig. 5). The valves 8| arealso connected through branch pipes 82 to an exhaust or return pipe 83by which the fluid is returned to the pump 14. The pipes 45 and 46 fromone lifting cylinder 40 are connected to one valve 8| and the pipes 45and 46 from the other lifting cylinder 48 are connected to the othervalve 8|.

Handles 65 (Figs. 2 and 4) are provided for the valves 8|, and by manualoperation of. the

valves 8| either cylinder 40 may be caused to raise or lower theassociated conveyor support 24 and the shovel and conveyor belt mountedthereon.

A link 86 (Fig. 2) is pivoted to one handle 85 and is notched asindicated at 81 in Fig. 5 to engage the other vhandle 85. An additionalhandle 88 (Fig. 2) is provided on the link 86. When the link 86 is inoperative position, the two valves 8| may be operated simultaneously toraise and lower both conveyor supports, but if it is desired toseparately manipulate one of the supports, the link 86 may be swung overto inoperative position.

The four-way valves 8| are of ordinary commercial structure and are soconstructed that when one of the pipes 45 or 46 is connected to the feedpipe 82, the other pipe 45 or 46 will be connected to the exhaust orreturn pipe Si). 'Ihe valves also have an intermediate position in whichall pipes are closed so that there can be no circulation of fluid. Whenthe valves 8| are in this latter position, each piston 42 is locked inits cylinder 45, thus holding the conveyor support substantially xed ina selected position.

The pump 15 (Figs. 4 and 6) is provided with a feed pipe 90 having afour-way valve 9| (Fig. 6) to which the pipes 6l] and 6| from thegate-operating cylinder 52 are connected. A return or eX- haust pipe S3connects the valve 9| to the return side of the pump 15.

A handle S4 (Fig. 2) is pro-vided for manual manipulation of the valve9|, and by suitably setting the valve fluid under pressure may beadmitted to one end or the other of the cylinder 52, or the piston maybe locked in position in the cylinder, the operation being substantiallythe same as for the valves 8| previously described.

The feed or supply pipe 90 is also connected by a pipe (Fig. 6) througha valve 96 tobranch feedpipes 1| supplying pressure uid to the conveyorbelt motors 10 previously described. A handle 91 (Figs. 2 and 6) isprovided for convenient manual operation of the valve 96. Additionalhand-operated valves 98 are provided in each branch pipe 1| so thateither motor 1|) may be rendered selectively operative or inoperative.The return pipe 12 (Figs. 4 .and 6) connects into the return pipe 93previously described.

As the pumps 14 and 15 run continuously and the cylinders 4|! and 52 andmotors 10 are used intermittently, I provide pressure relief Valves |08and |6| (Figs. 5 and 6). 'Ihe relief valve |00 (Fig. 5) forms a by-passfromthe feed pipe 8|) to the return pipe 83, through which fluid will`flow when a given operating pressure is exceeded.

The relief valve |8| (Fig. 6) similarly connects the feed pipe 95 to thereturn pipe 12, thus forming a pressure-controlled return for the pump15.

Having described the details of construction of my excavator and loader,the method of operation thereof will be readily apparent. Ihe conveyorsupports 24 will be held in raised position -until the machine reachesthe selected place of operation. Fluid under pressure will then beadmitted through the pipes 45 to the cylinders 40, 5

forcing the pistons 42 downward and lowering the conveyor support andthe parts mounted thereon.

When the desired lowered position has been reached, the valves 8| may beset to lock the pistons in the cylinders 4|) as previously described. 10

In the meantime, pressure iiuid is admitted to the motors 10, thusstarting the conveyor belts in operation, and pressure fluid is alsoadmitted to the gate cylinder 52 through the pipe 6|, thus holding thegates rmly in the position shown in 15 Fig. 1.

The vehicle is then moved forward by the drive wheels forcing thescoopsor shovels 3| into the loose soil which is pushed up through theopen upper end of the shovels and is deposited on 20 the conveyor belts2l) by which the dirt or other loose material is elevated and deliveredto the body or hopper B.

When the body is full, the conveyor supports 24 are raised by admittingpressure fluid to the 25 pipes 46, after which the load may betransported to a desired location and may be dumped by admittingpressure fluid to the cylinder 52 through the pipe 60, moving the gatesto the position shown in Fig. 4. 30

Each excavator and loader is thus independent and no time is lost inwaiting for other trucks to be loaded, as is the case where a singleloading machine is used for a plurality of transporting trucks. 35

Under certain conditions, however, it may be desirable to use separatetrucks for transportation of the material, in which case the body B maybe readily removed so that a truck can be positioned under the upperends of the belt con- 40 veyors.

I have thus provided a very simple and economical machine by which adesired thickness of loam or other soil or loose material may be removedfrom a selected area of ground and by 45 which the excavated materialmay be loaded into a self-contained body or into a separate truck orwagon.

The three-wheel construction is advantageous, as it permits the shovelsto operate at the sides 50 of the vehicle rather than in the center, asis necessarily the case where two front wheels and a central conveyorare used. My improved machine is thus adapted to work much closer to awall or fence or other boundary of an area to be 55 stripped.

In Fig. 7 I have shown mechanical means for raising and lowering thesupports 24. In this construction the supporting levers ||0 are eachprovided with a segmental worm gear en- 60 gaged by a worm ||2 mountedon a worm shaft ||3 having a handle ||4 by which it may be manuallyoperated. Similar mechanical mechanism may be provided for moving thegates 5D.

Obviously the conveyor driving pulleys 2| may be driven directly fromthe cross shaft I5, but I prefer the fluid-operated mechanism shown anddescribed in detail herein.

If desired, the pump 14 may be an air pump, 70 in which case the shovels3| will yield somewhat on encountering an obstruction, compressing theair in the cylinders 40.

VHaving thus described my invention andthe advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited 75 to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:-

1. An excavator and loader comprising a selfpropelled vehicle having aframe and an obliquely movable support, one of said parts having guiderolls at each side of said support and the other part having guide-waysextending longitudinally of said support, a shovel and a conveyor beltmounted on said support, a lever to which the lower end of said supportis pivotally connected, and means to swing said lever to raise and lowersaid support and the parts mounted thereon and to lock said lever in aselected position.

2. An excavator and loader comprising a motor vehicle having a singlefront wheel, a shovel and conveying mechanism at each side of saidmachine, and fluid-operated means to raise and lower said shovels andconveying mechanism, and to definitely position said shovels at adefinite distance below the surface on which the Vehicle is supported.

3. An excavator and loader comprising a selfpropelled vehicle having aframe, supports mounted at each side of said frame and guided forraising and lowering movement thereon, a shovel and a belt conveyormounted on each 5 support, fluid-operated means to raise and lower eachsupport and the parts mounted thereon, a Valve controlling the movementsof each support, and means to operate said valves separately orsimultaneously. 10

4. An excavator and loader comprising a threewheeled motor vehicle, ashovel and a belt-conveyor mounted at each side of the single frontwheel for movement toward and from the supporting surface, aload-receiving body having 15 gates mounted between the rear Wheels, andpower means to raise and lower the shovels and conveyors, to drive saidconveyors and to open and shut said gates.

20 CHARLES W. SHIPPEE.

